Top 5 Event Tips from the Most Innovative Endurance Event in the World — Tough Mudder

In 2010, Tough Mudder put on its first event, which garnered about 5,000 people. Since then, Tough Mudder’s hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses have tested the strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie of 1.5 million participants around the world. Learn what the Tough Mudder team shared about keeping their event exciting year after year.

Know Your Event—Front to BackTo put on a great event, you’ve got to know your course inside-out and upside-down. And that knowledge doesn’t come from high-falutin ideas—it comes from first-hand experience. Tough Mudder employees regularly put together teams and tackle the courses themselves. Tough Mudder’s in-house Innovation Team also tests new obstacles first-hand to identify which ones are runner-ready, and which could use a little more love.

Make Your Event SocialHow do you get more people involved in your event? You make it team-focused. Tough Mudder challenges require teamwork and camaraderie, and the experience reflects this social element from the second someone signs up to the moment they cross the finish line. Participants are encouraged to join a group or create their own—and 90% choose to do so. Team leaders can set up teams online using Eventbrite’s registration platform, rally team members, and encourage them to spread the word to others who may want to participate on their team.

Create and Commit to Your BrandWant participants to love your event? Create a powerful emotional connection between your participants and your brand by owning a unique look, feel, and voice. Tough Mudder projects a spirit of strength, teamwork, and grit in imagery and messaging wherever their content appears. Strong branding helps people not only recognize your event, but identify with it as well. So figure out your event’s brand and stay true to it the whole way through.

Surprise and Delight Your ParticipantsTough Mudder is not just an obstacle course event; it’s an experience. Their staff works hard to reinforce this experience with fun ‘Mudder’ activities, consistent messaging, and surprising placement. From a pre-event head-shaving station to entertaining signage in Mudder Village, Tough Mudder values the importance of these little experiences—and knows that they definitely add up.

Iron out the LogisticsNo one ever said parking and port-a-potties were glamorous, but they sure are important. With so much to manage, logistical details are often left last to hash out, but Tough Mudder’s Operations team runs a tight ship. The team keeps every nitty-gritty detail in an operations binder, which outlines how much space they need to park 10,000 cars, how much water they need to be over-prepared, and how many check-in areas are best for each site. Operations aren’t easy, but a smooth experience for their participants makes all the difference.